Communication Workers Union

Time after time during the CEPU's campaign for a decent EBA in Telstra our members have affirmed and reaffirmed that Telstra's "offer" is not good enough and that the union should fight on.

Some managers are running a campaign currently to try to challenge the "soundness" of that decision.

The CEPU elected Committee of Management in Victoria last night (24th Feb), after a thorough examination of all of the current circumstances and some history of the dispute, strongly reaffirmed the decision to fight on in the campaign, and in effect step up the action. The unanimous decision it carried was as follows:

“Following extensive reports on the current dispute, the Victorian T&S Committee of Management declares clearly, that the offer from Telstra made in late 2009 remains inadequate, particularly with regards to pay out comes.

The Committee of Management is not prepared to accept the situation where employees on EBAs are discriminated against in their pay, relative to employees on non-union contracts (ECAs) doing similar work.

As such we declare our determination to step up the campaign to achieve an acceptable EBA in Telstra.”

Let us once again look at the facts.

*         It was Telstra management that walked out of the talks and refused to negotiate for 12 months through 2008/9.

*         It was Telstra management that used the 12 months to try to get all EBA based employees on to non-union, non-negotiated contracts (ECAs).

*         It was Telstra management's own secret "leaked'" report that exposed that this was their plan all along if they couldn't get the union to agree to their Part A/Part B, two classes of worker type EBA.

*         It was Telstra management who determined that anyone who refused or rejected their non union contracts (ECAs) would receive less money than those who accepted their ECAs.

*         It is the Telstra management that embarked on a long term programme years ago to try to de-unionise the work force through AWAs, contracting out (including off shoring) and ITEAs amongst other things. To pay less for employees on union agreements than those on non union agreements is very consistent with managements' long term de-unionisation project.

*         Why do they want to de unionise the company? To make it easier to reduce your pay and conditions and get to where they want to be, and that is to get an Optus-style poor quality low pay agreement and perhaps even worse in the future.

*         It is the Telstra management that decided it would give EBA employees no credit for the "belt tightening” they agreed to in the 2005/2008 EBA, when employees decided to accept what became a real wage cut with a 2.5% pay increase each year when the cost of living increases were higher. No-one else in the company made such a sacrifice in that period and in fact the pay increases for the management decision makers bordered on the obscene.

*         These management decisions and this management behaviour, has cost and is costing each Telstra EBA based employee thousands of dollars in wages and on- costs. This from one of the most profitable companies year after year in Australia.

*         Telstra management is currently blathering on about productivity in Australia and telling the community that Australia is not doing well enough in that regard and yet year after year Telstra employees are producing "through-the-roof'" productivity increases and management continue to deny them any real gains for their effort.

So who has produced this human resources/industrial relations mess in Telstra? Not the CEPU Members and other employees on the EBA, yet they are the ones being punished.

Why wouldn't the CEPU members want to fight on under these conditions?

Clearly this is not just about the money alone. This is about the principle of deliberately paying less to employees on a union-negotiated agreement than those on a non-union contract. This is about blatant discrimination, a discrimination that could last well into the future, to be used by management to continue to pursue their ideology of de-unionisation, with all the consequences of that for employee rights and conditions.

The Network Construction managers, in the face of the current strike action by Network Construction members are asking the following questions of members.

1.     what do you want to be included in any agreement going forward?

2.     what are you willing to give up to get that?

3.     what principles do you believe the CEPU are operating to?

Shouldn't the question be "what principles are Telstra management operating to when they so blatantly and desperately want to discriminate against employees on a union agreement compared to those on a non union contract? "

CEPU members have done, and are doing, a magnificent job in this campaign under enormously difficult conditions. They are not about to change that anytime soon. The conflict can be resolved quickly however, when members on the EBA are convinced that Telstra management is no longer discriminating against them. The responsibility rests clearly with Telstra Management.

DAVID THODEY AGREES TO FURTHER TALKS

Following a recent letter to Telstra from the unions’ single bargaining unit seeking further talks around pay increases and other issues, the CEO has written back agreeing to further talks. This will be arranged shortly. Members will be kept informed.

LEN COOPER
Branch Secretary
M. 0438 389 302

JOHN ELLERY
BRANCH Assistant Secretary
M. 0419 823 580